Mountain Fire grows to 19,600 acres north of Los Angeles; Still 0% containment as houses burn and Santa Ana winds howl

UPDATED, 12:05 p.m.: Fueled by strong Santa Ana winds gusting up to 60 mph, the Mountain Fire continues to spread in Ventura County, northwest of Los Angeles. The fire has consumed more than 19,600 hectares and was still at 0% containment as of noon on Thursday.

At least 800 firefighters and several helicopters on site are working under dangerous “red flag” conditions – high winds and low humidity – that are expected to persist in most areas through Thursday evening. Ground crews, helicopters and other resources are working to protect lives and property as Cal Fire reports the northeastern portion of the fire is moving downhill toward the Santa Clara River.

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Evacuation orders were extended east into Moorpark late this morning as far as Grimes Canyon Road (the 23) and as far south as E. Los Angeles Avenue (the 118). These orders were issued in anticipation of the weakening of the Santa Anas this evening and more regular – and less intense – winds from the west that could strengthen and push the fire eastward.

To the south, after burning parts of Camarillo Heights, the fire was noted as far as the north side of the 101 Freeway. The Camarillo Airport is just on the other side of the 101.

At a news conference Thursday morning, fire officials said “numerous” buildings were set on fire and an unknown number of people were injured, but no deaths were reported.

About 31,200 homes in Ventura County were without power Thursday morning. Southern California Edison has set up community centers at the Arroyo Vista Recreation Center in Moorpark, Simi Valley Senior Center and the Ventura Beach Marriott, which are open Thursday from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.

The Mountain Fire broke out Wednesday morning near Balcom Canyon Road and Bradley Road in Somis and jumped the 118 Freeway, driven by wind gusts that could reach 100 mph in some areas. Numerous homes have been damaged or destroyed in the Camarillo Heights and Camarillo Estates areas, and evacuation orders remain in effect.

Cal Fire is working with Ventura County and San Luis Obispo County fire departments to battle the flames. The Los Angeles Fire Department sent nearly 100 firefighters to the blaze, including at least five attack teams, along with another team made up of fire personnel from Beverly Hills, Culver City and Santa Monica. Other local fire departments, including Glendale, are also on scene.

EARLIER, 6:28 PM: “Firefighters immediately worked to rescue people from their homes and save lives,” Trevor Johnson, chief of operations for the Ventura County Fire Department, said today at a news conference to discuss the Mountain Fire northwest of Los Angeles. He said it was “a heavy firefight” from the moment emergency services arrived on the scene in the area between Moorpark and Somis this morning.

The Mountain Fire is currently 10,480 acres with 0% containment. Emergency responders have made more than 14,000 contacts to evacuate people in the community, according to officials. Two civilians were taken to hospital with smoke inhalation.

One day after a historic presidential election, every local news outlet in Los Angeles was focused on coverage of the Mountain Fire, including images of burning homes, correspondents on the ground and interviews with evacuees and local officials.

A house in Camarillo Heights engulfed in the mountain fire (ETIENNE LAURENT/AFP via Getty Images)

“This is a classic Santa Ana wind event. We have sustained winds over 50 miles per hour with gusts over 50 miles per hour,” said Ventura County Fire Chief Dustin Gardner. “Every firefighter in the region, all of our partners – from Los Angeles County, Orange County, Kern County, Santa Barbara County, our partners at CalFire, our partners in law enforcement, the sheriff, every helicopter, every fixed-wing aircraft, everything that we got hold of – is here fighting this fire, and it is spreading at a dangerous rate.”

A major contributing factor, Gardner says, is the winds. As a result, “This fire has extended over two and a half miles.”

Red Flag conditions are “expected to continue through sunset tomorrow,” according to VCFD Division Chief and Incident Commander Jeff Change.

Thousands of residents have already been evacuated in the zones indicated in purple below.

The fire currently continues to spread westward through the Santa Clara riverbed area south of the city of Santa Paula. That town and the community of Saticoy are expected to be the next areas evacuated.

Other concerns include the densely populated Camarillo Heights area and the 101 freeway corridor connecting Los Angeles to Ventura and Santa Barbara.

The fire brought flashbacks of the huge Thomas fire which began north of Santa Paula on December 4, 2017, devastating parts of the now endangered area. Three weeks later it had scorched 281,000 acres and burned hundreds of homes, becoming at the time the largest wildfire since records began in California.

See below for a video taken this evening looking south from Santa Paula Airport.

According to Johnson, the cause of the fire is currently under investigation.

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